Degrees
by rweasleys
Summary: "The worst part of college is finding out you're all in the same boat." A series of stories about Massie's time as a freshman at Columbia University. (Multi-Pairing)


**Author's Note:**

 _A series of stories about Massie's time at Columbia University._

Hi y'all. I am trying to start fresh (kinda) with my stories and this is one I've been wanting to write for a while. The chapters won't necessarily be continuations of one another and there probably won't be a clear storyline throughout it. Buuuut, the gist of it is Massie's time as a college student.

So here it goes...

Disclaimer _:_ I do not own any of the characters/titles/songs/etc. mentioned in this story

* * *

 _CHAPTER ONE_

* * *

 _Massie Block_

 _Columbia ID: 7752186_

 _Dear Massie,_

 _Congratulations! Dean J. Valentini and the members of the Committee on Admissions join me in the most rewarding part of my job - informing you that you have been selected for admission to Columbia College. As the class of 2021, you will be a participant in an academic community wealthy in intellectual and personal talents of every kind. We are fully confident that the gifts you bring to our campus will be unique and valuable and that your abilities will be challenged and developed here._

* * *

Massie tucked her windswept hair behind her ears and bent down to tie her shoes. She rarely wore sneakers and yet she was glad she had done it. So much for people saying that Columbia was one of the smaller Ivy's. She felt like she had been walking all day.

"I'm still glad we chose Carman," Alicia said beside her. She was sipping thoughtfully on an iced chai and Massie was starting to regret not getting one of her own. Alicia held it out to her, as if she had read her mind. Massie grabbed for it. "Everywhere else seems so-"

"Anti-social?" Massie handed back the drink and waved at the doorman as they entered the elevator back to their floor. Both of them held up their ID cards that were swinging on their orientation lanyards, a clear cry that they were indeed freshmen.

They had just started their first-year and after a hectic move-in the previous day, they had spent the rest of the day after their start of school assemblies and familiarizing themselves with the campus. It was a lively place and Massie for one, loved it. She was also definitely enjoying having Alicia as a roommate. They'd spent the entire summer texting and Facebook messaging after mutual friends had set them up as roommates. They'd even gone to the same summer orientation, which was why Massie knew they were sleep compatible ( _thank god_ ). Alicia had gone to a high school close by to Massie's and they had already planned out carpools back upstate for breaks and long weekends. So far, things were looking good.

"That too," Alicia mumbled, pressing the button for their floor, "I really hope our suitemates aren't weird."

"You said that already," Massie responded. "Their profiles seem fine."

"I know," Alicia whined, "but I get nervous. What if they're freaks?"

"Probably," Massie laughed, "it's an Ivy. There are bound to be some weirdos."

"Don't you just love saying that?" Alicia sighed as the doors opened to their floor.

"What? That there are bound to be weirdos?" Massie snorted.

"No! That we go to an _Ivyyy_ ," Alicia sang. Massie rolled her eyes.

"-I don't get why you are smothering me!" Someone yelled from the RA's dorm. Massie and Alicia exchanged a look and peered in. "You are so f-f- _fucking_ annoying!"

Their RA was a tall, gangly, semi-cute but probably cared more about catching up on readings, type of guy. He had curly hair, with natural blonde highlights and a surfer like lull to his voice. He also looked like he took the job because it had seemed like a good idea at the time. Currently he was standing in the middle of the room with his face in his hands while a girl was yelling at him.

"Please, shut up." He groaned. "I am not smothering you!"

"You _so_ totally are! I don't even want to be on this floor! Let alone in your hall or even this building!" She was waving her hands in front of his face and he was pulling his cheeks down dramatically in response. "Let me live my life!"

"I could get you in so much trouble right now." He said, pointing at her.

Massie and Alicia giggled watching whatever this was play itself out.

"No, you can't!" The girl's black hair was falling out of her ponytail as she practically lurched forward to smack his arm.

" _Ow_!"

"You are so-"

"Alicia! Massie!" Their RA turned to find them watching and offered them a smile, "How are you adjusting?" The girl, whoever she was, crossed her arms over her chest and looked out the window. Massie raised her eyebrows.

"I'm good." Alicia said, and then nudged Massie who nodded, "and you Christopher? Are _you_ good?"

He paused for a moment, "I'm great! Just stressed for school to start," he let out a forced laugh and then turned to the girl in front of him and dragged her forward as if pushing her out of the room, "this is my sister Layne, I think she lives across from you?"

"Oooh," Massie replied, "I thought I recognized the last name on the door. I'm Massie and this is Alicia." Layne nodded, pretended to give them a smile and then marched out of the room.

"Tough break," Alicia muttered as they followed Layne's direction to their room. "She seems like she's gonna be a ton of fun."

"Tons," Massie agreed, grabbing Alicia's drink again.

If Massie were to be completely honest, although they lived in the more social dorm building, Alicia and Massie had yet to really meet anyone in their hall (Chris Abeley and now his sister aside), let alone their actual suitemates. This, she assumed, would change at their hall meeting planned for seven o'clock that night and to be quite frank, she was dreading it.

It was hard to want to put herself out there when she was riddled with nerves and half of her friends from home still hadn't started school. But what did she even have to worry about? She was Massie fucking Block.

"Massie?" Alicia snapped her fingers in Massie's face and Massie scrunched her face, "did you hear a word of what I just said?"

"Does it matter if I say no?"

Alicia rolled her eyes, "Skye, this older girl from my high school who goes here," ("Hamilton?" Massie had asked, Alicia waved this away), "long story – told me that there's a party tonight, if you're down?"

"Mmm, I could be convinced," Massie shrugged, "but we have our hall meeting."

"That will probably take like 10 minutes and it's at 7." Alicia poked Massie's arm, " _you knoooow you waaaant toooo_. Just think of _all_ the cute boys." Alicia sighed and when Massie's response was just a look, she quickly added, "yeah, yeah, I get you're in a relationship but you can still have fun."

"Fine. But I'm getting very, _very_ drunk." They had reached their room door and she stuck her keycard in the lock, and it clicked open.

"It's 4 PM, are they serious?" Alicia tilted her head to their neighbors' door.

Massie scowled.

Their neighbors had been switching from loud 80s hair metal rock to banging rap back and forth for the past day. It had been blaring all night long as Massie had tried to sleep and it didn't help that it also sounded like someone was pounding on the walls every few minutes followed by raucous laughter. Neither Massie nor Alicia had wanted to be the ones to ask them to keep it down the first night but Massie was starting to get the feeling that they would have to confront them at some point.

"It'll probably stop once classes start." Massie shrugged.

(A few days later she could confirm, that was _not_ in fact true at all.)

* * *

Skye lived in a beaten up townhouse, that in college student terms was a haven and a snag. The entire place was being pulled at the strings with the amount of people pouring in and out of it. Someone on the roof was screaming into the night and downstairs kids were sitting on the steps passing around cigarettes (one looked dangerously like their RA but they'd ducked inside rather quickly, _just in case_ ). The stench of weed lingered at the door and splashes of alcohol laid a pattern on the entryway.

Alicia was pulling Massie along by the tips of her fingers and Massie was turning around to look at her two suitemates to catch their attention.

They'd (by "they" she meant Alicia) invited them along as bonding. They seemed nice enough. Claire was a girl with a chirpy smile and a penchant for talking about Broadway and how much she loved her hometown in Florida. She already seemed far too steep into the Columbia-NYU rivalry and had insisted they all go to any sporting events possible. Kristen seemed utterly unbothered by Claire. She seemed too paranoid about life to care about a word that Claire said. She was hyper-focused on school, finding extracurriculars and her boyfriend (who she had mentioned at least 10 times since they had met).

Claire and Kristen had met on the housing page on Facebook and had decided from a few back-and-forths they were a good enough match. _Only time would tell_.

"This place reeks," Kristen said, wrinkling her nose. She reached to tighten her ponytail but almost hit someone who was passing by. The guy responded with a disgruntled noise and continued on his way. Kristen shot him a glare.

"This is so exciting," Claire said, she clapped her hands together and Alicia shot Massie a look. Massie snorted.

They reached the kitchen where most of the alcohol was and Alicia waved over a girl who looked like she had spent the better half of the day perfecting her hair. This made Massie very aware of the fact that she'd only spent about ten minutes on hers.

" _Ohmygod_!" the girl squealed, she pushed through the crowds and reached for Alicia, throwing her arms around her. They were all suddenly engulfed in the smell of jasmine. "Leesh! I am so stoked to see you, oh my god!"

"I know!" Alicia said, hugging the girl back tightly. It didn't take much for Massie to assume that this girl was Skye (she would not admit that she knew this was Skye from the fact that she'd heard far too much about Skye Hamilton and her entourage throughout high school, but that was neither here nor there). "Skye, this is my roommate Massie, you guys are _so_ gonna get along. And this is Claire and Kristen. They're our suitemates."

"Hi, guys! Oh my god, are you excited or what?" Skye asked ("totally!" Claire had replied). Massie wondered how many times Skye was planning to say oh my god. "Ugh, I'm so excited for you. Please, help yourselves, I have so much alcohol. I have a handle of Skyy," she winked, Massie tried not to roll her eyes, "stashed in my room for you girls if you want."

Alicia nodded eagerly and Skye pulled her along.

"I'll wait here," Massie called after them. She turned to Kristen and Claire who smiled back at her in a moment of discomfort. Massie shifted from foot to foot. Usually she was an extreme extrovert but there was something that felt unnatural about the fact that this was a period of time where literally everyone was exerting more energy into getting to know each other than they otherwise would.

"So-"

"Ugh, oh my god, it's Dylan Marvil," Claire whispered, she covered her face and hid behind Kristen. Kristen raised an eyebrow. Massie turned to where Claire was looking, or well, trying _not_ to look. A redheaded girl was standing by the back door to the small courtyard outside where people were passing around a bong. She was swishing around the contents of her cup, and looked rather bored, or maybe uncomfortable, and was standing with a boy with tan skin and pretty eyes. Neither of them were speaking.

"Am I supposed to know who that is?" Kristen asked in a tone that came across as uber polite.

"You know Merri-Lee Marvil? The talkshow host?"

"The talkshow host that like makes all the famous Chrises take their shirts off and makes my mom lose her mind?" Kristen joked.

"That is so specific, Kris. I'm kind of worried. Are you a secret Merri-Lee Marvil fan?" Kristen swatted Massie's arm.

"Yes," Claire responded seriously. "I mean not to Kristen being a fan but like Dylan being her daughter."

"We got that."

"Why are you hiding from her?" Massie asked, giggling at Claire's stance.

"She was my roommate."

" _I'm_ your roommate," Kristen responded.

Claire scoffed, "my roommate during orientation, _duh_."

"You didn't specify," Kristen responded, she had turned to examine Dylan now and Massie leaned against the counter behind them. "What's so wrong with her?"

"She was so obnoxious," Claire replied, "she brought three suitcases for _one_ orientation and she ignored me the entire second day after she ran into _that_ guy." Claire pointed her chin toward the guy standing next to Dylan.

"He's cute," Kristen said offhandedly.

"Don't you have a boyfriend?" Claire asked.

Massie laughed, "don't get her started."

"Hey!" Kristen said, pouting. "He's great, okay, you guys would like him-"

"So where is this famous boyfriend of yours? Is he coming?" Massie asked, raising an eyebrow. Kristen had gone on and on about her boyfriend and how they both chose Columbia but did _not_ make the decision because of the other one and it was all just a _coincidence_. Massie thought this was a load of horseshit but she didn't say anything.

"No," Kristen looked at the phone in her hand and sighed, "he has practice in the morning."

"Doesn't he live in our hall?" Massie added, _yes, she had been listening_.

"Yeah, he actually lives righ-"

" _On a Sunday_?" Claire said incredulously, "uch, at what cost!"

"The cost of playing a sport you love," Kristen replied shortly. "Anyway, I need to get started on my readings so it's actually a good thing he's not gonna be here."

"Why the _fuck_ would you get started on your readings?" Alicia appeared behind them, a handle of Skyy and some red cups in tow, but missing Skye Hamilton. Massie couldn't say she particularly cared about Skye's absence.

"I don't want to get behind!" Kristen grabbed the bottle from Alicia's grip and turned to the counter.

"Don't move!" Claire hissed.

"If she ignored you, she's not going to be bothered that you're here," Massie held her hand out for the red cups Alicia had brought with the bottle. Alicia handed them over and surveyed the counter top behind them.

"Who?" Alicia reached for a bottle of Cactus Cooler that looked like it had been to hell and back. It was bent so poorly out of shape that Massie cowered at the thought of wondering whose hands it had been in previously.

"Do _not_ just use soda that's lying around," Kristen said, pushing Alicia's hand away.

"Oh my god," Alicia sighed, "it's a house party and its Skye's house and I'm like a hundred percent sure this is hers, you'll be fine." Alicia stomped her black boots on the ground, "now, _who are we talking about_ -"

"The redhead at the door," Massie responded, pouring herself a heaping amount of vodka.

"The one walking over right now?" Alicia asked. Claire opened her mouth to respond but a perfectly manicured hand was on her shoulder before she could speak.

Massie held back a laugh and Kristen coughed into her cup. Alicia stared bravely at the scene before her.

"Hey, Claire," Dylan was standing behind her while the boy she was with lingered a few steps further back. He had his hands in his pocket and was looking up at the ceiling like he found something on it particularly interesting.

"Oh, hi!" Claire engulfed Dylan in a hug (she barely reciprocated). "I didn't even see you," Claire batted her eyes in the fakest display of friendship that Massie had ever witnessed. She was impressed. "How are you?"

"I'm well," Dylan shrugged. "You remember Josh?" The boy behind her raised his hand and then looked around behind him for an out. It was kind of hilarious.

"Hey," she smiled at him and Kristen peered over at him.

"Josh Hotz?" Kristen asked. Whoever this Josh was looked slightly taken aback but nodded. Massie decided she liked him, "oh my god, you're on the soccer team!"

He looked mildly confused but offered a small smile, "uh, yeah…how'd you know?"

"Cam's my boyfriend!" Kristen said enthusiastically.

"Fisher?" His face seemed to immediately brighten, "holy fuck! Dude, I love that guy."

"Yeah, so cool," Dylan muttered sarcastically, and then looked at the rest of the girls while Kristen and Josh dove into an elaborate conversation about "Cam" and soccer. It seemed that this sudden recognition had thawed his exterior completely as he spoke animatedly with Kristen. "I'm Dylan." She held her hand out for them to shake and Massie looked at it warily before shaking it.

"We were roommates during orientation," Claire added, shooting the others a look to play along.

"Oh, that's so cool," Massie said, "Leesh and I were roommates during orientation."

"What did you say your names were?" Dylan reached for the Skyy without asking and Claire made a face for just the other two to see.

"Massie."

"Alicia."

"You don't mind right?" Dylan asked, gesturing to the vodka.

"No," Alicia smiled, "help yourself."

"Oh, _thank god_ ," Dylan sighed and leaned in, "I'm bored to death, I don't know a soul in here besides Josh, who decided when we got here that he's suddenly mute. Apparently I didn't know to use the trigger word soccer."

"I recognize a few people from the hall meeting," Alicia said, standing on her toes to look at the crowd, "but that's about it."

"Really?" Dylan asked, "there's like _no one_ from my hall here, let alone my building."

"Do you live in Carman?" Massie took a large sip of her drink which she almost gagged at. The Cactus Cooler was too sweet but not overpowering enough. Dylan took a gulp of her own drink and didn't even flinch.

"I fucking wish," Dylan ran a hand through her hair, "you guys are so lucky."

"You should come over," Alicia offered nonchalantly. Claire missed Alicia and kicked Massie in the shin.

"Ow," Massie muttered, rubbing her leg. Claire mouthed a 'sorry' but neither Alicia nor Dylan noticed (or if they did, they didn't suggest it).

"What are your majors again?" Dylan asked, she was using Alicia's cup to take another shot and Massie tried not to be irritated by the fact that, 1) she was already this comfortable, and 2) that she thought she'd asked them their majors when she most definitely had not. _Wasn't that some type of freshman year faux pas?_ It seemed like everyone's first question was always "what's your major" before they even asked for names.

"Journalism with a focus in international relations," (Alicia loved saying this) she had slipped Claire's cup from her hand and was sipping on the disgustingly sugary mix they had concocted.

"Theater-"

"I know that," it sounded like she had meant to come across as kind but there was no doubt a sense of mild agitation in Dylan's voice. Claire crossed her arms over her chest as a response.

"I'm finance," Massie shrugged, "I'm trying to add Lit as a minor though. What about you?"

"She's business and film," Claire responded, "I already knew that."

Dylan laughed rather genuinely, "fair play." She shrugged off Claire's comment and Massie suddenly felt bad for quickly judging her, maybe Dylan wasn't so bad. "I'm doing my focus in finance though. What day are you taking intro?"

"Fridays," Massie sighed.

"No way," Dylan grinned, "me too! I think there's only one class that day," she pulled her phone out and scrolled through it for a picture of her schedule. "Yup, I'm Fridays at 9 AM."

"You're kidding," Massie leaned over to look at Dylan's schedule, "fuck yes."

"Cam's finance," Kristen shot in.

"Is that important?" Dylan asked Massie.

"Apparently," Massie laughed.

"Well," Josh said loudly, as if he were suddenly very at home in their presence ( _maybe the trigger word really was soccer_ ), "I'm tired, so I'm heading back. Ladies," he saluted them, "it's been a real pleasure. Dyl, you comin'?"

Dylan looked at the vodka in her cup, frowned and then looked back up at Josh.

"Honestly," Kristen said, "I'm pretty ready to head back-"

"We've barely been here an hour." Alicia pouted.

"I'll head back with you, Kris." Claire pulled her jacket closer to her and reached to hug Alicia. "Bye!"

"We're suitemates, dumbass, I'll see you in the morning," Alicia giggled.

"Habit," Claire said, her face bright red. Massie stifled another laugh. She had found Claire to be a never-ending source of laughter. She was kind of geeky but in a lovable way.

"Shot for the road?" Dylan asked, wagging her eyebrows.

"Don't be lame," Massie taunted, pouring drinks into each of their cups before they could even protest.

"Only because I'm feeling spontaneous," Josh held his hand out for a drink and Dylan rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, that and you're a binge drinker."

"I am _not_."

"Cabo 2016," Dylan said firmly.

"Oh, that's not fair." Josh shook his head. "That was two years ago-"

"What's not fair is you throwing up on my Gucci jacket on the way home from Squid Row." Dylan poked him in the chest and Josh flicked her hand away.

"You guys knew each other before?" Claire furrowed her brow.

Josh threw his arm unceremoniously over Claire's shoulder and leaned into her ear. "Yes, unfortunately," Josh whispered loud enough for them all to hear.

"Unfortunate for me," Dylan said bitingly, "I've known Josh my whole life and now we go to college together and live in the same fucking building."

"Consider yourself blessed. Also, you should hear yourself, 'you threw up on my Gucci jacket on the way home from Squid Row. I'm Dylan and I cry _all_ the time and I'm scared of bodily functions.'" Josh mocked.

"What the hell happened in Cabo?" Kristen looked actually concerned.

"That is for me to know and you to find out on a later date. It's a level 3 backstory," Josh nodded as if this was a real law, "I can't tell you yet."

"We talked for like 30 minutes, I feel like I'm there." Kristen joked.

"Okay, wait...you think Dylan _shouldn't_ have been afraid of you throwing up on her? I think it would be pretty weird if she were okay with it," Alicia snorted.

"Alicia, whose name I picked up from eavesdropping on your conversations, that is super hurtful."

"But very true," Massie added. She peered into her cup and wondered momentarily why the hell they hadn't taken their shots yet.

"You're not wrong," Josh stated, "let's drink to that."

They all raised their red cups, sloshing with the contents of what really should not have been considered a mixed drink, sticky from soda, and toasted to Dylan's fear of vomit. _Not a bad start._

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Woo there it is! I'm kinda rusty so who knows, I might rewrite this chapter (I think the last time I updated a fic was like 2 years ago...) but let me know if you want to see any specific pairings or friendships or storylines or whatever.

I also feel like the eternal soundtrack of this story is 'Campus' by Vampire Weekend but the original version.

P.S. I'm thinking of rewriting _The People We Meet in High School_ because I genuinely forgot where I was going with it. Plus I started it when I was a lot younger and just randomly sporadically updated? So I always felt it was kind of odd stylistically. I was thinking of potentially mashing the concept with an older fic of mine but who knows. Not sure if anyone would read it but also I kinda just feel like writing it.


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